It is a busy time of the year for school officials in the UAE as they prepare to welcome back pupils for the start of a new academic year.
Classrooms, corridors and play areas are undergoing a deep clean, while stickers are being displayed to remind pupils to follow social distancing rules.
Teachers are once again being trained in Covid-19 protocols, while masks and hands sanitisers are bought in bulk.
We are offering lots of training to our teachers to make sure they understand the protocols and can work as a team
Simon Crane,
headmaster of Brighton College Dubai
Simon Crane, headmaster at Brighton College Dubai, said he expected at least 95 per cent of the nearly 550 pupils at the school to be back in the classroom on Sunday.
A team of between five and 10 people conducted sanitisation drives at the school during the summer holidays.
“It’s a busy time as we get ready for the new academic year and schools are working really hard, round the clock, to ensure they are clean, sanitised and safe for young people,” Mr Crane said.
“We have a team of cleaners going from one classroom to another to get classes ready for the start of the year.
“We want to start the year with zero positive cases or close contacts within the school.”
Health inspections are carried out to ensure classrooms are ready for pupils and teachers to return.
Seventy teachers at the school are undergoing Covid-19 protocol training this week.
“We are offering lots of training to our teachers to make sure they understand the protocols and can work as a team,” Mr Crane said.
“We are also communicating a lot with parents so that they are fully informed with everything they need to know about coming back to school."
On Tuesday, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai's private school regulator, announced health and safety rules for the new academic year.
It also said all schools in the emirate would have to end distance learning on October 3.
The authority has updated safety measures in schools, such as reducing social distancing from 1.5 metres to one metre.
Pupils do not need to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to return to the classroom and regular testing is not mandatory.
Parents must submit a declaration form to schools to confirm their child is fit and healthy to return, and declare any recent international travel.
A bubble system is still in place at the school for pupils from Foundation Stage One to Year One.
In a bubble system, pupils learn and socialise in small groups, and are kept separate from others to reduce the chances of spreading Covid-19.
Mr Crane said increased sanitisation measures increased costs for schools.
“We have invested tens of thousands of dirhams, not only in sanitisation equipment but also additional staffing resources and human resources, additional teachers and cleaners," he said.
“The investment had been really significant for schools.”
David Jolly, the school's health and safety officer, said many families and pupils had been exhausted by the pandemic, which proved an additional challenge.
"People have Covid fatigue. They hope that when they go back to work and learning, the problem [the pandemic] would have been solved," he said.
Schools will have to work hard to ensure pupils followed all precautionary measures and did not let that fatigue affect their behaviour, he said.
Gulf Model School in Dubai has also been carrying out sanitisation drives over the past week.
Shiny Davison, academic director at the school, said the job was outsourced to a cleaning company.
"The school has been closed for two months and we thought in-house cleaning would not be enough," she said.
Desks and chairs are being spaced one-metre apart, instead of 1.5 metres, before pupils return to the classroom.
Officials at the school are also conducting online induction and orientation programmes for parents this week.
Pupils in Abu Dhabi get vaccinated before the new term - in pictures
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
MATCH STATS
Wolves 0
Aston Villa 1 (El Ghazi 90 4' pen)
Red cards: Joao Moutinho (Wolves); Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
Man of the match: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif (Al Jazira), Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah), Mahmoud Khamis (Al Nasr), Yousef Jaber (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalifa Al Hammadi (Jazira), Salem Rashid (Jazira), Shaheen Abdelrahman (Sharjah), Faris Juma (Al Wahda), Mohammed Shaker (Al Ain), Mohammed Barghash (Wahda), Abdulaziz Haikal (Shabab Al Ahli), Ahmed Barman (Al Ain), Khamis Esmail (Wahda), Khaled Bawazir (Sharjah), Majed Surour (Sharjah), Abdullah Ramadan (Jazira), Mohammed Al Attas (Jazira), Fabio De Lima (Al Wasl), Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Khalfan Mubarak (Jazira), Habib Fardan (Nasr), Khalil Ibrahim (Wahda), Ali Mabkhout (Jazira), Ali Saleh (Wasl), Caio (Al Ain), Sebastian Tagliabue (Nasr).
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
